When her eyes opened, at first she could've sworn she'd seen Hyvale. God herself, manifested in a brilliant robe of orange light. A loud, droning whine like the bellow of some great beast shook her to her very core. It felt like the noise was digging through her, eating away at the cancer that had grown inside. Her worries, fears, doubts and pain all slipped away beneath her like meat falling off the bone.

Hyvale became more clear, and the orange revealed itself to be her long curly hair. It fell just below her knees, covering her like a blanket. Her face was like gazing upon every woman on the planet, all blended into one beautiful figure. She was not just a creator, but a part of all her creations. And she was smiling. A piercing warm smile that made Raynn's breath hitch.

"The rules have been broken, Raynn Mirthorn. Shepherd and Ghost, means nothing now to the Endless." Hyvale spoke loudly, yet softly. Her voice vibrating in her ears to the beat of a sorrowful song. It took her a moment to realize what she had said, and her overwhelming joy was soon tainted with worry.

"What is it you speak of?" Raynn asked steadily, unsure if what she was experiencing was even real. She had heard of the concepts of Shepherds and Ghosts, but she'd always thought it was just an excuse used by religious fanatics as to why their god wasn't present.

"One God to destroy the balance. One God to cast evil across this world. You, Raynn, have suffered the consequences like many others. Only your name holds a much larger stake in this than them." Hyvale's smile started to fade, then it became clear it was simply all of her that was doing so.

"I don't understand!" Raynn shouted, desperate to keep Hyvale close to her. Anything to keep feeling that warmth.

"It is only fair, little one, that I guide you. As much as I wish to take away all of your pain, for all of you, the Endless will not allow it. Rules have been broken, yes, but I can not risk causing any more waves." Suddenly Hyvale appeared mere inches away from her. The fire-like warmth furled over her, paralyzing her. And yet she wasn't afraid, only wide-eyed in surprise. "It's important you find your Connection. They will guide you across gulfs, to islands, and below. They will save you, and you will save them." Her voice was stern now, and Raynn was feeling her heart in the depths of her stomach.

"Why are you…" Raynn started, but Hyvale put a finger to her lips. The touch alone brought upon a feeling of ecstasy, and her heart quickly rose back into place.

"Protect them, Raynn. From flesh and mind, for they will hurt unlike ever before. You must keep them from falling apart. And in return, you too will be pieced back together again." Hyvales certainty brought upon a deep sense of determination in her. She wasn’t very sure of what she was speaking of, or who for that matter, but in her heart she felt a fierce sense of loyalty already. For some unknown face in need of her aid.

“Yes ma’am.” She said, like a child to her teacher. She felt silly for having called her ma’am, but the deep smile it earned from Hyvale nearly made her melt.

“Raynn?” A voice from beyond called, and this time, she truly awoke. It was confusing at first as it was still dark, but once she adjusted to it she could make out the face in front of her. The feeling of safety and warmth still clung to her, and what would normally have startled her simply didn’t.

“Jasra…” Raynn spoke slowly, bringing a hand to her head. She felt ice cold. Looking around she realized she was in Jasras home, and a deep feeling of relief filled her. Though she wasn't exactly sure why yet.

“I…how are…are you okay?” Jasra fidgeted nervously with the blanket Raynn was tucked into.

“I’m fine, I believe.” Raynn winced at the pain that now came from her ribs and chest. Right, she’d almost forgotten about being attacked. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't fully remember what had happened. Only something that Rod had said had stuck with her, something that confused her even in the heat of the moment. He'd said he didn't want to hurt her. Did that mean he wasn't supposed to? Or he was simply apologizing because he had to? None of it made sense. But one thing was certain. Rod hadn't flipped on her for some coin, no, he was forced to do it. Whether it was blackmail or threat of physical harm she was not sure.

"I found you lying on the floor, I thought all that blood was yours at first and I…" Jasra choked on her words, holding back tears that formed behind her eyes. Despite the pain it brought her stomach, Raynn reached forward and dragged her friend into her arms, resting her chin on her shoulder. Jasra wept softly, hugging her friend mindfully.

Soon after, her father Killian entered the room, and made sure that nothing had changed regarding Raynns condition. Luckily, there didn't seem to be any long term damage to her outside of her broken rib that would take time to heal. There was no guarantee it would do so properly though, especially if she was moving about. So Killian insisted she stay put until he found somewhere to take her. Save for a trip to the bathroom which resulted in her seeing the bruise marks lining her neck. She'd seen similar bruises before, and her mind was temporarily drawn back to a time she'd rather forget.

"I got you some new clothing. I'd have gone back to the cabin to fetch yours but…" Jasras sentence drew on as she placed some clothing at the edge of the bed. The mansion was large enough to have several guest rooms, the one of which she occupied being on the first floor. She'd spent many nights there with Jasra, who was often much more welcoming than her father. But it had seemed that Killian either had a change of heart, or was simply not so cold as to ignore a lady in need. She appreciated the absence of his usual lingering callousness. Jasra claimed that how he was acting now was how he always was, of course that was hard for Raynn to believe. But this softer side of Killian was no doubt a welcomed thing to come back too.

"Thank you, Jasra. I shall hope I don't stretch any of it." Raynn left the bathroom, stumbling over to the bed where her friend helped her sit. Jasra had provided a beautiful green dress, one of which went down to her knees thanks to her height. Raynn happily ditched the bloodied night gown in favor of the dress, rinsing her face and hair too. She watched as the tub filled with blood, and her body grew cold. Had she really done what she'd done? Had she stabbed someone?

As she squeezed the water from her hair, she looked back at her friend who had grown awfully quiet. She figured it was time to explain some things.

"I have to tell you something, Jasra." Raynn started.

"I know who you are.." Jasra interjected, looking at her friend with mistful eyes. The words felt like a hammer to her heart. She wasn't sure if it was feelings of betrayal she was witnessing or empathy. It proved to be a bit of both. "I just mean to say I know you come from a noble family. Not much more than that. My father has been painfully vague." So her father did know who she was. That had suddenly explained much of his behaviour toward her. At first she felt a tinge of anger, but realized she would most likely feel the same if her own daughter was hanging around a walking bullseye.

"Not much more to know, I'm afraid. I just came here to be alone. To stay away from it all, but still be close enough to hear news of what goes on inside Torchill. I know it is foolish of me to have only gone so far as Fernwrath, but I know very little of anywhere past Whalerot." Raynn spoke honestly, for the first time in a long time when regarding her past. She'd had Jasra believing she'd been from an even smaller village called Timberbridge a few miles north.

"It doesn't matter anymore, you're here and so am I. What I really want to know is who was in your cabin? So far I've given you the benefit of the doubt that you didn't attack that man unprovoked." Jasra said with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood as best she could with such a topic. Raynn appreciated the efforts, and did her best to calm herself down before speaking again.

"His name was Rod. I was paying him to get me information about what was going on in Torchill, particularly regarding the Three Generals. He had been working for me for almost three years before he randomly assaulted me. But I have reason to believe his wrists were twisted into doing so. He seemed genuinely remorseful while almost choking me to death." Raynn ran her fingers over her throat again, the skin still soft and tender. There wasn't much pain left, as Rod luckily was a rather frail man and hadn't pressed down as hard as most could've.

"Perhaps all it took was some coin?" Jasra prompted.

"I thought of that, but Rod and I had built a bit of friendship. I'd like to think that meant something, but now I'm not so sure." Raynn frowned, thinking of all the times that Rod had shown up late and shared a drink with her while explaining the intricacies of Torchill politics. As it turned out, she'd learned most of what she knew about Torchill from Rod. As opposed to her own family who was insistent on keeping her off the streets and blissfully ignorant. Looking back, she didn't blame them too much. There was scarcely a road one could walk down that wasn't claimed by some gang or clan. Despite her best efforts she'd still been a victim to them once before. Only that wasn't important now.

"My father suggested it was the Three Generals, though I'm not sure how much truth is behind that." Jasra frowned. The idea of the Three Generals personally hunting her down was a terrifying thought, but one she'd been faced with before. But now it seems more plausible than ever as something comes to mind.

"Unfortunately there may be more truth to it than I'd hoped. Before Rod died he mentioned the Generals, and said that she hadn't forgotten. I can only imagine he's referring to-" Jasra interrupted.

"Jevsarra." Her expression was cold stone, and Raynn nodded slowly. "Hadn't forgotten what, though?"

"I assume she means about the relic she wanted so desperately to relieve my father of. One he claimed he never had to begin with." Raynn recalled how the request for the relic started with letters. But once ignored escalated to soldiers standing outside their door angrily demanding the relic at once. It all seemed to culminate on the day of her wedding.

"So, did he have it?" Jasra wondered, looking eager.

"I haven't a clue. My father never let me near his collection. I wouldn't even know what it looked like if I had seen all of it. My guess is he did though, at least at some point. He must've gotten rid of it along the way. As to why he didn't just give it to them is beyond me. My father always was a man of principle. Perhaps he just didn't like being told what to do, and certainly not in regard to his collection." Raynn had asked the very question Jasra had for decades now. Eventually her confusion and sadness transferred to anger at her fathers stubbornness. But she knew that was silly, that she had no way of knowing if that was what really happened. Maybe Jevsarra was simply maddened, and was looking for an excuse to destroy her family. But why her family? And why make it so public, yet scour it in mystery as a random assassination? There were more holes than Raynn could ever hope to fill in her lifetime. And she hadn't even taken time to think about what she'd experienced just hours ago before waking up.

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"Perhaps we shouldn't be asking these questions right now. You just need time to recover. I'll fetch you some food. It's going to be a long night with this storm, I imagine." Jasra said with a faint smile, before standing up to fetch her something to eat. Raynn hadn't even noticed the rain pelting the windows, and the lightning flashing outside. She didn't care much for getting rest. Though, she wasn't opposed to having another dream about Hyvale.

She looked exactly how she did in the books. Red glowing hair and a beautiful white gown. Her skin was pale white too, with freckles that seemed to blossom across her cheeks. She looked so very human for something so ethereal. It almost didn't feel fitting in the least bit. But the humans had been the first to emerge on the planet, so it only made sense.

Raynn did her best to remember what happened in the dream, or vision, she wasn't sure exactly what to call it. It had been far, far too vivid to be a dream, though. And so vision seemed much more fitting. And so she tried to recall what Hyvale had said, pushing past the feeling that her presence brought upon her. Had any of it even been real? Surely her brain couldn't conjure up something so frighteningly vivid and surreal. But at the same time, it was said that Hyvale was a Ghost, a god that wasn't allowed to interfere with their planet's affairs under any circumstances. What could possibly have happened to make a god break the rules of the Endless?

It almost wasn't even worth debating, it seemed entirely too ridiculous. If she truly was a Ghost, how could any of the scriptures be right in regards to her appearance? Perhaps she simply presented herself as such to accommodate for the general population's assumption of her. In which case, she may very well have just introduced herself to her. But then again, why her? She had made it seem like she was the true victim in all that has happened in the last few years. And while she certainly didn't have it easy, she was modest enough to realize others had it much worse.

One God to destroy the balance. Raynn remembered. Surely she hadn't been talking about herself. But who then? What god? It had been believed Geur of Coreterra had abandoned his planet, hence creating the Red Sands that was then used as punishment for those who denied Hyvale. Was that what destroyed the balance? It had to have been millennia ago when that occurred though. It all was starting to make Raynns headache worse.

"Here, I got you some tea and soup. Both are still rather hot." Jasra suddenly appeared again, balancing them on a plate and setting it down before her on the bed. "My father says we will leave in the morning, as soon as this rain clears up." Raynn didn't know how to feel about that news. There were still some things back at her cabin she wished to grab, things she couldn't just leave behind.

"Where?" Raynn asked shakily, before bringing the tea to her lips and blowing gently.

"Good question. I'm not exactly sure." Jasra looked at the door expectedly, but no one came. "I trust his judgement. And, honestly, I'm sorry for how he's always treated you. Since my mother passed he's clung to me even more. I know that's no excuse for his behavior, but…"

"Jasra, it's okay. Really. It seems your dads fears have become a reality anyways. All I've done is brought trouble to you." Though Raynn was doing her best not to indulge in self pity, it was hard not to feel bad for dragging her friend into something so awful. She could only imagine how upsetting it was seeing her friend in that state. At least where Raynn had grown up she'd been used to news of violence, and eventually been a victim of it herself. Though she never would imagine she'd have killed somebody one day. No, she didn't kill him, she defended herself. And as a result, he died. That was how she had to look at it.

"Stop it, you know that's not true. You have shown me so much about this world, Raynn. I owe a lot to you. I will help you through this. However I can." Jasras tender words brought tears to her eyes, and Raynn smiled as her friend nodded, unsure of how to respond. So the two simply sat in silence as Raynn started on her soup. It was just after the spoon hit the bottom of an empty bowl that a heavy knock came at the door.

Killian rose from the couch, pacing across the room he grabbed his scabbard, gripping the handle as he approached the door. It was late at night now, and the rain was at its peak, thunder cracking in intervals every so often. Who could possibly be outside his house in this condition?

"Hello? Please, anyone!" A faint, petite voice cried out. It was most certainly a young lady, perhaps having got lost in the woods or suffered an injury. Debating it, Killian realized he couldn't in good conscience ignore the cry, and opened the door.

He was met with a massive man in shining golden armor, with a girl standing quietly behind him. The rain pelted his armor, sliding down in long, thick streams. There was no emotion to be found behind that mask, that resembled a lion. Killian began to pull free his sword when the Lion reached out and grabbed his wrist, throwing him inside. The girl behind him yelped, quickly following them in, but grabbing at the Lions arm.

"Ferjis, you don't even know if this is the right place!" The girl shouted, stepping in front of the Lion with a look of disgust. Killian was thoroughly confused, scrambling to his feet and searching around for his sword. It was just behind the Lion now, sitting by the door. If he could just make a dash for it…

"Girls, run!" Killian yelled behind him toward the hallway. The Lion sighed and began to step forward with the roll of his shoulder.

"Now we do." Ferjis said, stomping toward the hall. Killian ran forward, leaping into the Lion fruitlessly and beginning to punch up toward his head. Ferjis simply grabbed him by the arm and tossed him aside once again, tumbling back first into a table and knocking the air from his lungs. The human crumbled to the floor, gasping for air as the Lion started for the hall. The young girl looked frantic, her hands tangling in her hair as the moment seemed to bring upon some panic. Clearly she was not entirely a willing participant.

Both Jasra and Raynn froze as they heard the shout. Surprisingly it was Jasra who was first to react, running for the door and slamming it shut. Locking it, she ran back to Raynn and dragged her to her feet. Her body screamed out in pain, and she nearly tripped face first into a desk. But Jasra quickly slung her arm over her shoulder, and pulled her friend up as best she could. She was a good bit taller, but it wasn't going to stop her from trying.

It didn't take long for there to be a slam at the door. The two looked to the door, and then to the window across the room. The answer seemed obvious, and the two began to shuffle toward the windows. Just as they reached them, fingers running along the rims, the door was smashed open, exploding into splinters over the room.

The two cower into the corner of the wall, watching as a massive golden clad man stood at the doorway.

"Raynn Mirthorn." The Lion boomed. "Don't try that." He added, gesturing with his gaze toward the windows. The two girls did as was told, and didn't move so much as a hair on their body. The Lion rounded the room, stopping before them. He was massive, his head almost touching the ceiling. It was like trying to fit an elephant in a stable. And though he had just torn his way through the house, his composure was rather calm.

"Hand yourself up, Mirthorn." Ferjis said flatly, his eyes empty behind his mask. She couldn't tell if it was from exhaustion or frustration. Sometimes those two things were correlated, though. But Raynn saw no other way out of it, other than to stand up. Jasra gripped her arm, urging her to come back down, but Raynn tugged her arm free.

"You won't hurt them." Raynn said sternly, looking at her friend who's eyes had never looked so frightened. The Lion nodded slowly.

"I am not here to hurt anyone. Come with me willingly and no one has to bleed." His response was chilling, and yet somewhat comforting. Though she wondered if she was part of the 'no one' he spoke of. If she was being taken back to Torchill, she saw very little avenues other than her inevitable death. They were going to question her about the relic, try to get her to confess to where it is, and she won't have an answer. She was most likely going to be tortured, then killed.

"Right…did Jevsarra send you?" Raynn attempted to remain confident, but she was so far from control she felt the slightest move might make her combust. Somehow the water dripping off the Lion added a distant layer of intimidation. But the Lion simply grunted, taking in a deep breath.

"You don't get to ask questions, now come with me." He demanded, pulling free his claymore and pointing toward the door, or where it had been. Stiffly, the elf walked forward, squeezing past the Lion and walking in front of him as he led her back into the living room. There they saw Killian still struggling to breath.

"Peppir, we're going." Ferjis nodded toward the exit, and the young mylian quickly scampered toward it. She looked so innocent, so young. What was she doing running around with a Steel? Peppir looked at Raynn for a moment, her lips parting as if to speak, but closing as it seemed to suddenly elude her. She said nothing further as she begrudgingly headed toward the door. But just before the mylian could do so, Ferjis grunted.

"Wait. We'll stay here tonight. Let the moon and rain pass." Ferjis said stiffly, clearly not wanting to do so. But it did them no good getting lost in the rain like they had hours ago. It was a miracle that Ferjis had been able to pick up the trail again. A look of relief washed over Peppir and she happily trotted over to the couch and sat down.

"Just keep an eye on her, I'll watch the perimeter." The Lion said with a nod toward his mylian companion, who looked to Raynn with a contemplative glare. Ferjis then led the elf over and forced her to sit down next to Peppir.

"No one is coming, we aren't expecting anyone." Killian said, rising to his feet finally. The man seemed to know what to do, not wanting to risk being cut down by the claymore, and stumbled over to the other couch, and sat across from Raynn. As if the Lion expected it, Jasra came out of the hall too, and found herself sitting next to Raynn.

"We aren't the only ones looking for you. It's an open contract." Ferjis shut the front door, and further blocked it with a chair. Not one of them knew what to expect from the Lion, or the petite mylian sitting on the couches with them. She held a satchel stuffed to the brim with books and scrolls, and she didn't seem entirely dangerous to anyone.

"Must be some hell of a prize for the Lions to take on an open contract." Killian said slowly, rubbing his hands together as he attempted to calm his nerves. He'd been a hostage one too many times out on the Drench, being boarded by other ships and ran for everything they had. Never had it been a Lion, though.

"There's a neat little bonus for those who bring her and the item they seek in. We aint so greedy, though. But others will do much worse things to you, Mirthorn, to figure out where the at item is. I figure you won't tell me, anyways." There was a frown to be found behind that mask, and Raynn couldn't help but tense at his words. Of course, so this Lion wasn't the only lunatic parading around the city streets looking to cut a slice out of her.

"What was part of my fathers collection was never of my knowledge, and never will be. His notoriety got my family murdered, on what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life." Raynn spat, turning to look at the mylian next to her. "Did you know that? The bastards couldn't wait a single day to lash out on that which couldn't fulfill their greed. I suffered because of it. Because of a damn relic I don't even know the name nor shape of. So why would I keep this a secret anymore? What attachment could I possibly have?" The elf pleaded, but to little effect. Though she earned a pained expression from Peppir, the Lion simply shook his head.

"It isn't me you're going to have to convince, Mirthorn." Ferjis scoffed. "It's all the other two-bit thieves and Steels that will sooner peel your nails back than listen to your sob story." The Lion had a cruel mix of understanding and fearful implications. None of them were quite sure if even Ferjis himself wanted to be there. Perhaps he felt the task was below him. In which case, Raynn held hope that she could convince him to let her go. There was no saying what Jevsarra had in store for her, beyond the obvious things.

"Thalam…" Peppir said softly, earning a sideways glance from Ferjis.

"Will have made it back to the boat by now." He finished for her. The Lion then waltzed over to one of the love chairs and sat down, taking his helmet off. Setting it down beside him on one of the tables, Ferjis ran a metallic hand through his wet hair, slicking it back. He looked far too young to be a veteran Lion, and yet he acted the part. That said a lot about it, to Killian.

"What do you want with her?" Jasra spoke up, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling Raynn closer.

"Not a damn thing. She just needs to take a little boat ride and this will all be over."